Rescue Squads May Need 911 After Dwindling Donations

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Rescue squads are always there in people's time of need, but some of them say the donations they need aren't coming in like they used to.

The emergency medical services crews in both Clayton and Garner ask residents to donate $50. In exchange, rescue squads cover all the costs of an emergency call that insurance does not, no matter how many times they get dispatched to that home.

However, crews say the mailers they have sent out for years asking for donations have not come back at the rate they usually do.

"The EMS guys are probably the one I'd love to give to first. Fifty dollars is a steep piece of change when you're buying diapers and formula," resident Van O'Neal said.

The head of Clayton Area Rescue says the deal in the mailer is drawing in fewer donations. His EMS received 150 fewer mailers returned this year. Neighboring Garner is also down.

"We can speculate that people, citizens subscribe. They don't use that service over x number of years, so it becomes a low priority to contribute to them," paramedic Chris Creech said.

Officials with the Clayton rescue squad said the lack of donations has them pinching pennies. Garner EMS officials said another few years of lackluster donations could put it in bad financial straits.